Many families use this saying ... it's a way of welcoming in the first day of a new month.
One of the explanations of its origins is that it would keep witches away for a month - in mediaeval times people believed in witches and thought that salt would make them weak - so a pinch of salt would make a witch weak enough for a punch to banish her from your home for the month.
Now in our family we have always done this ..... from when I was a little girl ..... and then passing it on to my 3.
When the kids were younger I used to LOVE jumping out of bed on the first day of the month to run into their bedrooms and do "pinch punch"... my goal was to get all 3 of them before they realised and got me first ..... this presented a challenge as they were all in different rooms so whoever was first would usually "get it" but then 2nd and 3rd's had heard the commotion and were well prepared !!
As they got older there would always be a groan as I approached the bedrooms for the ritual pinch and punch before hauling teenagers out of bed for the school run ...... but I persevered ..... its a tough job but someone has to do it!
It was a little sad then, that this morning ..... I had no-one to say/do it to !!!!
Greg gets up early for work, so by the time I was in the land of "wide awake" ..... I had forgotten to say it to him. Then .... as Wednesdays are my day off ...... I was still in bed by the time Dan got up for work and I just shouted out to him to have a good day.
So when I actually got up and dragged myself downstairs ..... it hit me that I had not done this age old tradition .....and for a few moments I realised that this is the downside of being "nearly" an empty nester.
The house was silent and there had been none of the hustle and bustle of the morning school run and no-one to give a friendly pinch/punch to ............
EXCEPT THE DOGS ... HA !
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